Graham and Einstein

Graham And Einstein

In January 2000, leaders in Charlotte, North Carolina, invited their
favorite son, Billy Graham, to a luncheon in his honor. Billy initially
hesitated to accept the invitation because he was struggling with
Parkinson's disease. But the Charlotte leaders said, "We don't expect a
major address. Just come and let us honor you." So he agreed.

After wonderful things were said about him, Dr. Graham stepped to the
rostrum, looked at the crowd, and said, "I'm reminded today of Albert
Einstein, the great physicist who this month has been honored by Time
magazine as the Man of the Century. Einstein was once traveling from
Princeton on a train when the conductor came down the aisle, punching the
tickets of each passenger. When he came to Einstein, Einstein reached
in his vest pocket. He couldn't find his ticket, so he reached in his
other pocket. It wasn't there, so he looked in his briefcase but
couldn't find it. Then he looked in the seat by him. He couldn't find it.
The conductor said, 'Dr. Einstein, I know who you are. We all know who
you are. I'm sure you bought a ticket. Don't worry about it.
'Einstein nodded appreciatively.

"The conductor continued down the aisle punching tickets. As he was
ready to move to the next car, he turned around and saw the great
physicist down on his hands and knees looking under his seat for his ticket.
The conductor rushed back and said, 'Dr. Einstein, Dr. Einstein, don't
worry. I know who you are. No problem. You don't need a ticket. I'm
sure you bought one.'

Einstein looked at him and said, 'Young man, I too know who I am. What
I don't know is where I'm going.'"

Having said that Billy Graham continued, "See the suit I'm wearing?
It's a brand new suit. My wife, my children, and my grandchildren are
telling me I've slowed down a lot lately and I'm not as chirpy as I used
to be. So I went out and bought a new suit for this luncheon and one
more occasion. You know what that occasion is? This is the suit in
which I'll be buried. But when you hear I'm dead, I don't want you to
immediately remember the suit I'm wearing. I want you to remember this: I
not only know who I am, I also know where I'm going."

"God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who
has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son does not have life. I
write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so
that you may know that you have eternal life." --- 1 John 5:11-13

Jesus said, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust
also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I
would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And
if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to
be with me that you also may be where I am." --- John 14:1-3

Daily Bread Excerpt

Walking Our Faith

Read: Romans 2:17-24

Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? —James 2:22


Often we Christians are urged not just to "talk the talk" but to "walk the talk." The same advice may be expressed in these words: Don't let your behavior contradict your professed belief. At other times we are admonished to be sure that life and lip agree. If our conduct doesn't harmonize with our confession of faith, however, that discrepancy nullifies the testimony of the gospel which we proclaim.

As far as we can know, Mahatma Gandhi never became a Christian, but he made a statement that we who follow Jesus would do well to ponder. When asked to put his message into one short sentence, he replied, "My life is my message."

Certainly we should explain the gospel message as clearly as possible. Yet the clearest explanation isn't going to win hearts for our Lord unless His love is embodied in our lives. To quote the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 11:1, "Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ." And holding himself up as a pattern, he wrote in Philippians 4:9, "The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you."

Pray, then, that like Paul we may live out our saving faith before the watching world. —Vernon Grounds

Daily Bread Excerpt

Hope For Worriers

Read: Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. —Psalm 23:1

Everyone worries occasionally, but I was once a "professional worrier." My daily preoccupation was mulling over my worries, one by one.

Then one day I had to face an uncomfortable medical test, and I was frantic with fear. Finally I decided that during the test I would focus on the first five words of Psalm 23, "The Lord is my shepherd." This exercise in meditation not only calmed me, but I gained several fresh insights. Later, as I slowly meditated through the entire psalm, the Lord gave me more insights. Eventually I was able to share at conferences what the Lord had taught me.

If you're a worrier, there's hope for you too! Rick Warren, author of The Purpose-Driven Life, wrote: "When you think about a problem over and over in your mind, that's called worry. When you think about God's Word over and over in your mind, that's meditation. If you know how to worry, you already know how to meditate!"

The more we meditate on God's Word, the less we need to worry. In Psalm 23, David meditated on his great Shepherd instead of worrying. Later, God chose him to be the shepherd of His people (Psalm 78:70-72). God uses those who can honestly say, "The Lord is my shepherd." —Joanie Yoder